What did you do on boxing day?

We went to the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki!

Come on!  Lets go!

Stop messing around Nancy and Iris!

The girls are all into gardening and flowers, so this work was a BIG hit.  Red, by Choi Jeong Hwa, who is also the artist behind Flower Chandelier, is a stunning piece and looks great outside the new entrance.  Fragile and bright in contrast to the city architecture and all that concrete.

There is also a cool art station for kids, you can play around with some fun stuff along side a sparkling Reuben Patterson wall…

Choice!

Luna checking out Len Lye’s Universe.  So cool to have her experience works I’ve come to know so well.

Before all the renovation work even began there was a lot of talk about making our art gallery a ‘world class’ art space and a destination. That phrase got bandied around a lot – particularly as the cost of the project grew.

But this is a world class gallery and so worth a visit, so get along over the summer holidays while it’s quieter than usual.

Photos of some older works, Luna and I had fun curating our ‘home gallery’ as she calls it.

I was interested in the how these shapes formed when I exaggerated certain stitches, at the same place in each piece.  Quite star shaped.

One fun way to get RSI.  These are really firm and hold their shape well, and yes, they take ages.

I was learning about juvenile jellyfish, hydroids and other marine organisms.

This is Toxic, it was at part of Desire Lines.  Did you see it there?  I was getting into octopus at this stage!  Giant octopus!

If you’ve been to art school you might have been lucky enough to have one of those classically trained drawing teachers.  The kind who maintain and enforce that subtle etiquette required when one person in the room is being a nudey pants.

The kind of art teacher who tells the class you must draw every morning for a few hours, in the hope that maybe those words will sink into at least one mind…  these drawings are all at least a couple of hours exhausting work, and if you went to art school you might know many gazzillion of these I have.  AND drawing was my favourite subject, AND had the best teacher, lucky me!

Anatomy was so hard, we drew from human skeletons, and live models, though I loved all those bones.  I still do.

We also drew from classical busts.

And still lifes.

In sorting out my work room I have unpacked some sketch books.  So exciting, some drawing projects as well as designs for other ideas, including set design for a sci fi play.  From AGES ago.

Above is the original drawing for my tattoo, I was making drawings of marine animals, here are some more…

I love tube worms.

Inspired by art work in some old undersea books.

Gotta love water colour pencils for vibrant drawings.

Pencil and ink..

Rob made these wallpaper prints ages ago, I came across them while unpacking.  But I cannot find the original block, they’re really easy to do, this was one of those beautiful raised or embossed pastel flowery drops.

You just glue, carefully, a piece of wallpaper onto a smooth piece of wood you have in your stash, like MDF, let dry under a soft layer, like towels or cloth, under a pile of heavy books or similar, for a day or so until it has dried (obviously taking care to ensure no glue is oozing out that will stick to the cloth..).

Then you are ready to print!  You can use a roller to roll on the ink, then, as with block prints, put it through a press, or just lay paper on the inked side and rub over with another clean roller, or just your hand, to make the print.

Very basic, but it looks nice, you can pick up really nice texture too.  The sad part is that the block becomes more flattened the prints you make.

Oooh I took some photos of the block.

I’d like to have this paper on the walls of my house one day.

The blue tinge is from the print ink, the original pattern is very raised and gold and pastel shades of pink and cream  Noice.

Only five more sleeps til the Auckland Art and Craft Market!  Wohoo!  You’ve probably heard the adds on the radio and seen posters up around town, so you’ve been saving up and planning your shopping list for AGES.  We’ll I’ve been planning for agaes too and I have some sweet treats lovely Scallop Snuggly softies and new Sea Horses too, as well as gifts for craftsy peeps!

So.. if you need to know the details, visit the website, or look here!

Saturday 11th June 2011
11am to 3pm
Aotea Centre, THE EDGE
Auckland Central
Gold coin entry donation

Did you see all the artist interviews?  I have been reading them too, here’s my one…

My lovely sea horses are all coming along just well, swimmingly…  I’m enjoying using up some fabric pieces I’ve had stashed for years on one of my newest designs.  I decided to make some giant sea horses after I had a dream about huge sea horses, over one meter tall, they swam through the air, and were amazing, so real and just huge!

Here are the ones I have made out of a beautiful cot sheet mum gave me, they are sooo soft and snuggly, I have enough to make about three or four.  I have also used the material to make some scallop shell softies too.

I have been experimenting with some of the embroidery stitches on my machine..

We found some of those tiny model people outside AUT last year, and they looked like they needed a home.  The turn up every now and then about the place.

I like this one, these are some of my favourite shoes…

Luna is so into stickering…

Sneaky stickering…

Here are some of my newest little goodies, I have been working on them for a wee while and I introduced them at the Auckland Art and Craft Fair in December.  They come complete with instructions, pins, thread, all the felt and even stuffing and a needle.  Perfect for someone looking for a project over a weekend, if you’re newish to sewing.  You will learn how to sew blanket stitch, and you’ll have a pretty pin cushion at the end.  They are available in two sizes, just like the real thing, and in a variety of flavours.

I will list them on Felt.co.nz for next month and even have some new kits in the making for coming markets this year.

And Mermaid’s Purse will be there.  I’m so excited, I’ve been mad busy sewing, stuffing, cutting, trimming and naming loads of lovely treats for you to take home.

Tomorrow I have some pretty snugly sea horses needing new homes, and a nice bunch of Don’t Give Me The Chop! Carrots, and some very exciting Make Your Own Cupcake Pincushion Kits.  The pincusion kits have been a while in the making and I figure this months Auckland Art Craft Fair is THE place to launch them for all you craft loving shoppers..

See you tomorrow at the Aotea Center Foyer from 11am to 4pm!  Wohoo!